Betrayal
by Gabrielle Angelina
Summary: He stood, watching her, simmering in his own anger.


He stood, watching her, simmering in his own anger, his own betrayed feelings. His arms were crossed, a stance he took on regularly, but somehow, now, it was more dangerous. More violent. She was tossing her clothes into a duffel bag, tossing words that were meant to hurt over her shoulder at him.

He didn't hear them. He could only stare at her and see a stranger. What had he been thinking? He resisted the urge to run fingers through his already-disheveled hair. It would show her his nerves, and he needed to remain cool, collected while she ranted at him, made excuses to him.

He was only brought back to what she was saying when she threw a brush at him. She couldn't manage more, he knew, not something that would seriously injure him, physically. But Merlin knew he was hurting emotionally.

"Listen to me when I'm talking to you," she spat.

"You've no right to tell me what to do in my house," he returned coolly, coldly as possible.

"Our house, ours!"

"Mine. You can take the bed, though. I'll just burn it when you leave if you don't."

She turned, ready to battle. "This bed cost three hundred Galleons!"

He shrugged. "I don't care. You fucked him in this bed. It won't stay here, and neither will you."

"You didn't give me enough attention, you goddamn---"

His temper lashed out, cut loose only a second so that he strode to her, gripped the arm she was flinging out in gesture and held it above her head while he resisted the urge to hit her. "Do you want attention, _Princess_," he snarled. "I'll give you attention. You won't like it."

Now the anger in her eyes had died down with fear. "You're hurting me," she whispered, staring up at him.

"Good," he returned. "I hope you have bruises. It sure as hell doesn't feel the same as what I'm feeling right now."

She twisted her wrist in his grip. He let her, but didn't let her arm fall. "Draco, you need to calm down," she said, the steadiness of her voice ruined by the tremor that broke it. The tremor that excited him.

He refused to act on it. His father would have. He was a different man. "I am quite calm, my darling," he murmured, keeping his tone neutral. "But I do not understand why you felt the need to take another man to our, _our_," he emphasized, tightening his grip on her arm until she winced, "bed. Why, Pansy?"

Now the tears fell, and she shook her head, the black cap of hair swinging. "I don't know. It happened, I didn't mean for it to happen."

"But it kept happening, Pansy. It. Kept. Happening. Stop crying," he commanded.

She nodded, and wiped her eyes with her free hand. "I'm sorry, Draco," she whispered and cast her eyes downward. "It… I didn't love him. I don't love him. Only you."

"You don't love anyone," he returned tersely. "Except yourself. You let him have you because you tasted power, and you tasted it greatly. You could get me back if you were caught, isn't that what you thought, Pansy?"

Sniffling, she nodded. "But I didn't mean…"

Now he let go of her arm. "Pack your things and leave. Take the bed if you want."

In silence, so used to being told what to do and how to do it, she did. She shrank and charmed the rest of her clothing and toiletries into the duffel bag and shrank the bed as well.

It hurt Draco, to see that she wanted the bed. To know that she wasn't ashamed she'd betrayed her husband in the worst manner, but was only ashamed she'd been caught.

He stood in the middle of the huge bedroom, the slightest sound echoing when made, once she left. He listened for the slam of the door, or a crackle of Apparation. When he heard the whoosh of the Floo, he didn't feel relief. Only despair.

It hurt. His hands shook as he raised them to run along his face. It hurt so much to know that she didn't love him, when he loved her so deeply.

**Author's Note:** I was going to have Draco forgive her. Really I was. But I couldn't do that to him, not when Pansy was being such a bitch. I tried to think of a way (any way) they could stay together. Draco resisted, and therefore, he won out and Pansy lost. Though I have to wonder who would cheat on our lovely, delicious Draco and WHY?!


End file.
